Introduction

Thank you for downloading this release of the Java TM Platform, Standard Edition Development Kit (JDK TM). The JDK is a development environment for building applications, applets, and components using the Java programming language.

The JDK includes tools useful for developing and testing programs written in the Java programming language and running on the Java TM platform.

System Requirements & Installation

System requirements, installation instructions and troubleshooting tips are located on the Java Software web site at:

Release Notes

See the Java SE 6 Release Notes on the Java Software web site for additional information pertaining to this release. Please check the on-line release notes occasionally for the latest information as they will be updated as needed.

Compatibility

See Compatibility with Previous Releases on the Java Software web site for the list of known compatibility issues. Every effort has been made to support programs written for previous versions of the Java TM platform. Although some incompatible changes were necessary, most software should migrate to the current version with no reprogramming. Any failure to do so is considered a bug, except for a small number of cases where compatibility was deliberately broken, as described on our compatibility web page. Some compatibility-breaking changes were required to close potential security holes or to fix implementation or design bugs.

Bug Reports and Feedback

The Bug Database web site lets you search for and examine existing bug reports, submit your own bug reports, and tell us which bug fixes matter most to you. To directly submit a bug or request a feature, fill out this form:

Note - Please do not seek technical support through the Bug Database or our development teams.

Contents of the JDK TM

This section contains a general summary of the files and directories in the JDK TM . For details on the files and directories, see the JDK File Structure section of the Java SE documentation for your platform.

Development Tools

(In the bin/ subdirectory) Tools and utilities that will help you develop, execute, debug, and document programs written in the Java TM programming language. For further information, see the tool documentation.

Runtime Environment

(In the jre/ subdirectory) An implementation of the Java Runtime Environment (JRE TM ) for use by the JDK. The JRE includes a Java TM Virtual Machine (JVM TM ), class libraries, and other files that support the execution of programs written in the Java TM programming language.

Additional Libraries

(In the lib/ subdirectory) Additional class libraries and support files required by the development tools.

Demo Applets and Applications

(In the demo/ subdirectory) Examples, with source code, of programming for the Java TM platform. These include examples that use Swing and other Java TM Foundation Classes, and the Java TM Platform Debugger Architecture.

(In src.zip) Java TM programming language source files for all classes that make up the Java core API (that is, sources files for the java.*, javax.* and some org.* packages, but not for com.sun.* packages). This source code is provided for informational purposes only, to help developers learn and use the Java TM programming language. These files do not include platform-specific implementation code and cannot be used to rebuild the class libraries. To extract these file, use any common zip utility. Or, you may use the Jar utility in the JDK's bin/ directory:

jar xvf src.zip

The Java Runtime Environment (JRE TM )

The Java TM Runtime Environment (JRE TM ) is available as a separately downloadable product. See the download web site.

The JRE allows you to run applications written in the Java TM programming language. Like the JDK TM , it contains the Java TM Virtual Machine (JVM TM ), classes comprising the Java TM platform API, and supporting files. Unlike the JDK, it does not contain development tools such as compilers and debuggers.

You can freely redistribute the JRE with your application, according to the terms of the JRE license. Once you have developed your application using the JDK, you can ship it with the JRE so your end-users will have a Java TM platform on which to run your software.

Redistribution

NOTE - The license for this software does not allow the redistribution of beta and other pre-release versions.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Software License Agreement and the obligations, restrictions, and exceptions set forth below, You may reproduce and distribute the Software (and also portions of Software identified below as Redistributable), provided that:

you distribute the Software complete and unmodified and only bundled as part of Your applets and applications ("Programs"),

your Programs add significant and primary functionality to the Software,

your Programs are only intended to run on Java-enabled general purpose desktop computers and servers,

you distribute Software for the sole purpose of running your Programs,

you do not distribute additional software intended to replace any component(s) of the Software,

you do not remove or alter any proprietary legends or notices contained in or on the Software,

you only distribute the Software subject to a license agreement that protects Oracle's interests consistent with the terms contained in this Agreement, and

you agree to defend and indemnify Oracle and its licensors from and against any damages, costs, liabilities, settlement amounts and/or expenses (including attorneys' fees) incurred in connection with any claim, lawsuit or action by any third party that arises or results from the use or distribution of any and all Programs and/or Software.

The term "vendors" used here refers to licensees, developers, and independent software vendors (ISVs) who license and distribute the Java TM Development Kit (JDK TM ) with their programs.

Vendors must follow the terms of the Java Development Kit Binary Code License agreement.

Required vs. Optional Files

The files that make up the Java TM Development Kit (JDK TM ) are divided into two categories: required and optional. Optional files may be excluded from redistributions of the JDK at the vendor's discretion.

The following section contains a list of the files and directories that may optionally be omitted from redistributions of the JDK. All files not in these lists of optional files must be included in redistributions of the JDK.

Optional Files and Directories

The following files may be optionally excluded from redistributions. These files are located in the jdk1.6.0_<version> directory, where <version> is the update version number. Solaris TM and Linux filenames and separators are shown. Windows executables have the ".exe" suffix. Corresponding files with _g in the name can also be excluded. The corresponding man pages should be excluded for any excluded executables (with paths listed below beginning with bin/, for the Solaris TM Operating System and Linux).

jre/lib/charsets.jar

Character conversion classes

jre/lib/ext/

sunjce_provider.jar - the SunJCE provider for Java Cryptography APIs localedata.jar - contains many of the resources needed for non US English locales ldapsec.jar - contains security features supported by the LDAP service provider dnsns.jar - for the InetAddress wrapper of JNDI DNS provider

bin/rmid and jre/bin/rmid

Java RMI Activation System Daemon

bin/rmiregistry and jre/bin/rmiregistry

Java Remote Object Registry

bin/tnameserv and jre/bin/tnameserv

Java IDL Name Server

bin/keytool and jre/bin/keytool

Key and Certificate Management Tool

bin/kinit and jre/bin/kinit

Used to obtain and cache Kerberos ticket-granting tickets

bin/klist and jre/bin/klist

Kerberos display entries in credentials cache and keytab

bin/ktab and jre/bin/ktab

Kerberos key table manager

bin/policytool and jre/bin/policytool

Policy File Creation and Management Tool

bin/orbd and jre/bin/orbd

Object Request Broker Daemon

bin/servertool and jre/bin/servertool

Java IDL Server Tool

bin/javaws, jre/bin/javaws, jre/lib/javaws/ and jre/lib/javaws.jar

Java Web Start

db/

Java DB, Oracle's distribution of the Apache Derby database (only with file based distributions of the JDK).

demo/

Demo Applets and Applications

sample/

Sample Code

src.zip

Archive of source files

Redistributable JDK TM Files

The limited set of files and directories from the JDK listed below may be included in vendor redistributions of the Java TM Runtime Environment (JRE TM ). They cannot be redistributed separately, and must accompany an identically versioned JRE distribution. All paths are relative to the top-level directory of the JDK. The corresponding man pages should be included for any included executables (with paths listed below beginning with bin/, for the Solaris TM Operating System and Linux).

jre/lib/cmm/PYCC.pf

Color profile. This file is required only if one wishes to convert between the PYCC color space and another color space.

All .ttf font files in the jre/lib/fonts/ directory.

Note that the LucidaSansRegular.ttf font is already contained in the JRE, so there is no need to bring that file over from the JDK.

jre/lib/audio/soundbank.gm

This MIDI soundbank is present in the JDK, but it has been removed from the JRE in order to reduce the size of the JRE download bundle. However, a soundbank file is necessary for MIDI playback, and therefore the JDK's soundbank.gm file may be included in redistributions of the JRE at the vendor's discretion. Several versions of enhanced MIDI soundbanks are available from the Java Sound web site: here. These alternative soundbanks may be included in redistributions of the JRE.

On Microsoft Windows platforms, the JDK includes both the Java HotSpot TM Server VM and Java HotSpot TM Client VM. However, the JRE for Microsoft Windows platforms includes only the Java HotSpot TM Client VM. Those wishing to use the Java HotSpot TM Server VM with the JRE may copy the JDK's jre\bin\server folder to a bin\server directory in the JRE. Software vendors may redistribute the Java HotSpot TM Server VM with their redistributions of the JRE.

Unlimited Strength Java Cryptography Extension

Due to import control restrictions for some countries, the Java Cryptography Extension (JCE) policy files shipped with the JDK and the JRE allow strong but limited cryptography to be used. These files are located at

where <java-home> is the jre directory of the JDK or the top-level directory of the JRE.

An unlimited strength version of these files indicating no restrictions on cryptographic strengths is available on the JDK web site for those living in eligible countries. Those living in eligible countries may download the unlimited strength version and replace the strong cryptography jar files with the unlimited strength files.

The cacerts Certificates File

Root CA certificates may be added to or removed from the Java SE certificate file located at

Java Endorsed Standards Override Mechanism

From time to time it is necessary to update the Java platform in order to incorporate newer versions of standards that are created outside of the Java Community Process SM (JCP SMhttp://www.jcp.org/) ( Endorsed Standards), or in order to update the version of a technology included in the platform to correspond to a later standalone version of that technology ( Standalone Technologies).

The Endorsed Standards Override Mechanism provides a means whereby later versions of classes and interfaces that implement Endorsed Standards or Standalone Technologies may be incorporated into the Java Platform.

For more information on the Endorsed Standards Override Mechanism, including the list of platform packages that it may be used to override, see